Mud Hens pitcher charged with sexual assault

Reed was with Detroit Tigers when alleged assault occurred

Evan Reed, a pitcher for the Toledo Mud Hens, was with the Tigers in March when an alleged assault occurred. ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT — A Toledo Mud Hens pitcher has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a Detroit hotel.

Evan Reed plays for Toledo, Detroit‘‍s Triple-A team, but was with the Tigers when the alleged assault occurred.

Reed is accused of an act of penetration through force or coercion at MotorCity Casino Hotel. The charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The 45-year-old woman “began to feel odd” after consuming alcohol earlier at a bar in Royal Oak, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said in a statement. They took a cab to the hotel. The woman told authorities that after the assault Reed told her to leave.

Reed “had reason to know the victim was physically helpless or mentally incapacitated or mentally incapable to consent,” Prosecutor Kym Worthy said at a news conference. She declined to say whether the woman had been drugged.

Reed’s attorneys have aggressively declared his innocence since the investigation was made public in the spring. They had predicted there would be no charges.

“This is by far the worst decision I’ve seen from the Wayne County prosecutor’s office,” defense lawyer Ben Gonek said. “There is no doubt the jury will find (Reed) is not guilty. The public will see what a waste of taxpayer dollars this is.”

“As an organization, we take matters like this very seriously and we are closely monitoring the situation,” the Tigers organization said in a statement today. “Evan Reed's representatives are handling his legal proceeding that must run its course before there is any further comment from the ballclub.”

“As of noon today he remains on the Mud Hens active roster.”

Reed, a native of Santa Maria, California, was not scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

He was 0-1 with a 4.88 ERA for the Tigers before being sent to Toledo in June where he is 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA.